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A Kickstart into a teaching

Reconnect worked with The Department of Work and Pension's (DWP) Kickstart Programme and schools to secure an incredible opportunity to give young people a kickstart into a career in a school. The programme offered 6 month paid placements which could lead to permanent employment. There were several placements available including:

  • teaching assistants
  • administration support
  • caretaker.

We received an incredibly high number of applications from young people who met the criteria (between 16 and 24 years old and on Universal Credit).

Eighty placements were arranged with over 40 schools countywide:

  • 39 as SEN teaching assistants
  • 22 as mainstream teaching assistants
  • 10 in administration support
  • 9 as caretakers.

Of the 74 participants who have already completed their placements, 30 have been given employment with their host school and another 13 have secured employment or training elsewhere.

We have received very positive feedback from the schools about:

  • how helpful their new employees were
  • how the programme supported them to recruit new staff
  • the value of the training and support the participants were given by Runway Training and Reconnect throughout.

We continue to provide support to those who have left the scheme without a confirmed next step.

At the Kent DWP Employer Awards in June 2022 we were "Highly Commended" in the category of “Over and Above - Kickstart” for the support we provided to our Kickstart employees.